Seth Rogen and his filmmaking partner Evan Goldberg feared their comedy The Interview would become a laughing stock after Sony bosses pulled it from release last month (Dec14) amid the North Korea hacking scandal, because the film wasn't worthy of the drama surrounding it. The pair's acting pal Jay Baruchel reveals his friends were relieved when the movie hit independent cinemas on Christmas Day (25Dec14), because if fans had to wait to see the project, it would have amounted to a huge anti-climax.
Baruchel, who appeared alongside Rogen in This is The End, says, "They were just bummed that there might be a chance their movie might not come out. They just worked real hard on it and wanted everyone to see it and they were kind of bummed that this furor would take away from the movie.
"They feared that when people would finally see it they'd be like, 'This is what all the fuss was about?' They didn't want that notoriety... They were super stressed because they knew it was a straight-ahead comedy and not this world-changing event that it became. So they just wanted people to see their flick that they were proud of."

Seth Rogen and James Franco made a screening of The Interview interactive by live-tweeting with fans while watching the controversial film on Sunday (29Dec14).
The comedy, about two Americans hired to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was slated to hit U.S. cinemas on Christmas Day (25Dec14), but Sony Pictures bosses axed the release after online hackers threatened venues screening the movie.
Sony bosses distributed the film via a number of online platforms, including Google Inc's YouTube and Google Play, the film company's own website and Apple's iTunes.
On Sunday, the movie's stars, Rogen and Franco, along with co-director Evan Goldberg, took to Twitter.com and invited their followers to watch The Interview along with them, creating a live commentary as fans viewed the film from their own homes.
Rogen admitted the unusual circumstances surrounding the release of the film felt odd, writing, "I gotta say that it's f**king weird I'm watching this on TV right now."
The stars gave behind-the-scenes insights for each scene, including one in which rapper Eminem makes an unexpected cameo appearance, while Franco also confessed that he almost ran over Rogen and the camera crew while learning to drive a tank for the film.
The unconventional release has actually proven to be record-breaking for Sony, as executives released a statement on Sunday revealing The Interview has been purchased or rented online more than two million times, raking in more than $15 million in its first four days, making it the number one online movie ever released by the studio.
While bosses at a number of movie theatre chains in the U.S. refused to screen the movie, more than 300 mostly independent cinemas agreed to a limited run which began on Christmas Day, and the picture has since grossed $2.8 million at the U.S. box office.

The Los Angeles office Seth Rogen shares with producing partner Evan Goldberg used to be movie mogul Louis B. Mayer's dining room on the MGM lot. It was also used as a classroom for the studio's child stars, like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

"Preacher has been our favourite comics since it first came out. Garth Ennis is one of our idols and it's an incredible honour to be working on this. We promise we won't make too many d**k jokes and ruin it." Seth Rogen confirms he and writing partner Evan Goldberg are working on a TV series adaptation of Garth Ennis' cult graphic novel series, after it was picked up for a pilot order at U.S. network AMC.

Celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, Johnny Depp and Hugh Jackman have paid tribute to veteran comedienne Joan Rivers following her death on Thursday (04Sep14). The legendary funnywoman, 81, died at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital after she was removed from life support following a cardiac and respiratory arrest on 28 August (14).
Her daughter Melissa announced that her mum passed away just after 1pm local time, and celebrities have been paying tribute to Rivers ever since.
Fellow comedienne and longtime pal Whoopi Goldberg took to Twitter.com to share her condolences, and wrote, "My friend Joan Rivers has passed away once again to quote Billy Crystal... There are no words. Bon Voyage Joan."
News of Rivers' death comes weeks after Goldberg also paid tribute to another close friend, Robin Williams, who died last month (Aug14).
Australian actor Jackman lauded Rivers' comedic presence and wrote, "We lost one of the true originals today. Joan Rivers. A force. You will be missed," while Depp called her "An Amazing Individual", and Mel Brooks wrote, "Joan Rivers never played it safe. She was the bravest of them all. Still at the top at the end. She will be sorely missed."
Other tributes from Zoe Saldana and British comedian Ricky Gervais hit Twitter, and rocker Ozzy Osbourne thanked the late comic for being kind to his daughter Kelly - Rivers' co-host on TV show Fashion Police. He wrote, "Not only was Joan a comic genius, she was an amazing woman. Thank you for always having Kelly’s back. You will always be a legend. RIP."
Celebrities also brought levity to the tragedy of her death, recalling catty remarks Rivers had made about them on awards show red carpets. Actress Anna Kendrick said, "Being publicly told that my dress is hideous will never feel quite as awesome. You will be truly missed", singer Demi Lovato added, "RIP Joan Rivers... You made fun of my boobies just last week and it was an HONOR," and pop star Katy Perry joked, "What's the point of wearing all these dumb costumes if Joan's not here to rip them apart? RIP Joan Rivers. You are a one of a one."
Former Charmed star Rose McGowan recalled that "Joan once said I looked like a whore," and Evan Rachel Wood shared a similar sentiment, and remembered, "She once said I looked like I needed a trip to the VD (venereal disease) clinic..." before adding, "The day I was ridiculed by Joan Rivers for the way I looked was the day I felt like i made it in Hollywood."
Girls star and creator Lena Dunham even poked fun at Rivers' self-depricating extensive plastic surgery, and quipped, "I told (comedian Marc) Maron I'd have a zinger when Joan died. But I didn't think she ever would. She felt eternal, and anyway, zingers are her territory. That being said, Joan is gone but a piece of her lives on: her nose, because it's made of polyurethane."
A plethora of comedians also shared their praise for Rivers, including Kathy Griffin, Roseanne Barr, Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, Cedric the Entertainer, Wanda Sykes, Arsenio Hall, Tim Allen and Kevin Hart, as well as celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, Boy George, Samuel L. Jackson, Nancy Sinatra, La Toya Jackson, Martha Stewart, Naomi Campbell, Brad Paisley, Alec Baldwin, Josh Groban, Maria Shriver, Simon Pegg, William Shatner, Ariana Grande, Vanessa Williams, Julianne Moore and John Stamos.

Universal Pictures via Everett Collection
Director Nick Stoller's newest flick, Neighbors, is infused with an unhinged, bacchanalian spirit. The film pits a couple just settling into the comforts of family life against an army of rowdy, boozy frat guys that have never met a homeowner association they couldn't piss off. Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, newcomer Jerrod Carmichael and Stoller dish about filming the insane party scenes, the surprising inspirations for the film, and why Rose Bryne's character is totally down to party with the frat bros.
Director Nick Stoller and his cast discuss bringing the film's wild party scenes to life:
Stoller: "I had some practice shooting party stuff for Get Him to the Greek and so I took lessons I learned from that, both the things I liked that I did and the things I didn’t and brought them to this, and from the very beginning, I wanted the movie to feel like a party and to be cool. I am not cool and I don’t go to parties so I did a lot of research and Seth and Evan [Goldberg, the producer] pitched the idea of a black light party and a hothouse party, which were both cool visual ideas. Then I watched a lot of movies that are much cooler than the movies I make, like Enter the Void was a big visual reference for me. Then another movie that weirdly was a big influence - because there’s a dumb heist element to the movie - so I watched Ocean’s 11 and I took apart that movie to see how it was put togethter. There are certain things, like you put the camera low and it makes it feel epic, you hand out cameras to a lot of extras and that makes it feel more epic."
Jerrod Carmichael: "These party scenes had to be a monster to coordinate. It was like 250 extras along with us. You don’t forget all the smoke and these military grade lights we weren’t allowed to stare into. We had to wear protective goggles."
Christopher Mintz-Plasse: "I went to the hospital after we shot five days in the house with just a bunch of smoke. I was in the hospital for like, four hours. Just being a nerd."
The cast on Dave Franco's now-infamous Robert De Niro impersonation scene:
Dave Franco: "I was most anxious about that scene more than any other when I read the script. So from day one, I was trying to perfect the impersonation so I was looking up videos on YouTube and actually watching De Niro movies, and trying to figure out what he does with his face, and I just couldn’t get it. I’m not good with impressions, so literally the night before I just stood in front of the mirror and just physically pushed my face around and it just kinda took form, and then you throw on the mole and the pleated khakis and give me the cat and I’m just following through with it. It hurts, man, when you’re doing it for six hours. Try to do it for like five seconds."
Seth Rogen: "I couldn't stop laughing at Dave Franco... the De Niro face would collapse"Zac Efron: "It wasn't like he was breaking character or giving up, it was like he couldn't sustain it any longer."
The cast discuss how Rose Byrne's character transcends the nagging housewife stereotype:
Rose Byrne: "We wanted to not make her the usual stock female character. You know, the nagging wife in the corner. We tried to make her as irresponsible and irreverent as the rest of the cast."
Franco: "I just love how silly she is and she just goes toe to toe with Seth. She’s not the typical wife in the movie who’s naggy or just getting walked over by the husband. She crushes it."
Mintz-Plasse: "Rose was holding her own more than anybody. She was hilarious in this movie, probably my favorite character."
Nick Stoller chimes in on why there might not be a clear cut winner in the battle between Frat vs. Family.
Stoller: "I don’t like villains in the movies that I make, and I think all of us are on the same page. We didn’t want there to be any villains because it gets boring really quickly if you’re just like “that person’s bad,” then there’s no real lesson for them to learn. What is cool about the movie is that if you’re young, if you’re the age of the frat kids, you take the side of the frat, and if you’re closer to my age, you take the side of the family, so that was the goal. Those kids in the movie are doing what kids are supposed to do, which is party constantly."
Neighbors is in theaters now.
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It takes a misunderstood artist to know one, so when Seth Rogen revealed that his good friend James Franco has plans to play Tommy Wiseau in an adaptation of The Disaster Artist: My Time in The Room, the world responded, "Well, of course." Rogen revealed the plans during an appearance on the Opie and Anthony radio show where he talked about the film, which he will produce with his writing partner Evan Goldberg. Based on the book by Greg Sestero - who co-starred in the infamous cult hit - the film will chronicle the production process of The Room, which was plagued by problems and cost its writer/director/producer over $10 million.
The Disaster Artist isn't the first time that Franco has expressed interest in Wiseau and his work. Last year, he wrote an in-depth piece about The Room for Vice, and described Wiseau as "ageless, muscled, sweet, and scary; he is part vampire, part Hollywood dreamer, part gangster, part Ed Wood, and super lonely." Franco's depiction of Wiseau as a tortured genius is fitting, especially considering Franco is sometimes portrayed as a underrated artistic icon as well. The fact that much of Franco's statement can be used to describe himself seems to illustrate exactly why the Francophrenia star is the perfect person to step into the shoes of Wiseau. It's just one of the many qualities that Franco and Wiseau have in common:
Both Are Multi-Hypenate Artists... Though Wiseau is primarily known for his work on The Room, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in, he has also produced and acted in several other films, as well as creating a television show and two web series. Franco, meanwhile, has dabbled in almost every artistic medium there is, and in addition to acting, directing, screenwriting and producing. He is also a painter, poet, teacher and novelist. Plus, he starred in Spider Man 3, which is basically The Room of the superhero genre.
Whose Work is Not Taken Seriously.. Though most of the world loves The Room for being so terrible that it's entertaining, Wiseau seemed to believe it to be a great work of artistic genuis. He now seems to admit that it's not very good, though whether he's truly changed his mind about it or is just playing along, we'll probably never know. Similarly, much of Franco's non-acting work has received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, many of whom dismiss him because of his celebrity status. Like Wiseau, he has also capitalized on the criticism to make fun of himself, although we're almost certain that he still truly believes himself to be an artistic genius.
And Are Famous For the Wrong Reasons. Wiseau's celebrity is due entirely to the fact that The Room is, according to Entertainment Weekly, "the Citizen Kane of bad movies," rather than any of his other, more successful projects. While Franco's been giving solid acting performances since his breakthrough role in Freaks and Geeks, he's more likely to get press coverage for things like taking half-naked selfies, inappropriate Instagram behavior, or fighting with critics on Twitter. And those are just from the last two months.
Both Are Enigmas...The little that is known about Wiseau's life comes from Sestero's book, which reads like the plot of a Nicolas Cage film. According to the story, Wiseau was born in communist Europe, moved to France and worked as a dishwasher before he was wrongfully arrested and tortured by the police. From there, he made his way to Louisiana, then to San Francisco, where he sold toys to tourists, changed his name and somehow made enough money to fund his film. Franco has revealed a lot more about his life, but he still makes it difficult for the public to get a grasp on who he is, primarily due to his strange career moves, various artistic endeavors and inability to open his eyes all the way. As Jonah Hill said at his roast "I've known you for years, and I'm still not sure I've ever actually met the real you."
Who Have Seen Their Writing Adapted Into Films...Franco's collection of short stories, Palo Alto, was recently adapted into a film by Gia Coppola - with Franco starring, obviously - which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival to largely positive reviews. Wiseau, however, preferred to direct his adaptation himself, and turned his 540-page novel into The Room. Since the final product wasn't 9 hours long, that means enough was cut from the novel to be the basis for an entire Room film franchise.
And Both Have a Connection To James Dean.According to Sestero's book, Wiseau was so enamored of the late actor that several lines The Room were based on the dialogue in the film Rebel Without A Cause. He also revealed that Wiseau frequently visited a restaurant owned by one of Dean's friends, although if he's looking for a tenuous connection to Dean, he's probably better off befriending Franco, who won a Golden Globe for playing Dean in a TV biopic. Besides, it'll save him a lot of money in the long run.
Also, They Look Alike Just put a long, dark wig on Franco's head and give him a healthy spray tan, and they could be twins.
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Seth Rogen celebrated a double win at the 2014 American Comedy Awards for his film This Is The End. In the pre-taped ceremony, which aired in the U.S. on Thursday (08May14), stars gathered at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for a night honouring the cream of the comedy world.
Rogen was the toast of the night, as he and producing partner Evan Goldberg won Comedy Director - Film in addition to Comedy Film of 2014 for their apocalyptic farce.
In television, Amy Poehler also walked away with two trophies, including Comedy Actress - TV and Comedy Series for Parks and Recreation.
Former Saturday Night Live star Bill Hader took home the award for Comedy Supporting Actor - TV for his work on the sketch show.
Will Ferrell and Melissa McCarthy picked up awards for Comedy Actor and Actress - Film respectively and the Late Night Talk Show prize was a tie between The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Duo Key & Peele won trophies for both Comedy Directing - TV and Alternative Comedy Series.
Chris Rock was on hand to deliver veteran funnyman Bill Cosby with the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence, in honour of his outstanding work over the past 50 years.
Upon receiving his award, Cosby quipped, "Those of you who are too young (to remember), that to go on the Carson show meant something big for your career. Johnny would introduce you, and you'd do your (set) and you were paid $340. They had no idea that I was four years from the projects. That's a lot of money."

Nintendo/Sega
If the success of The Social Network and Moneyball have proved anything, it's that the only thing Hollywood loves more than an underdog story is one that's based on a best-selling book and deals with an American pastime, like social media or baseball. Or video games, which is the new subject of the upcoming film Console Wars. The movie will tell the story of the battle for supremacy in the 1990s between Nintendo and Sega. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have been tapped to write and direct an adaptation of Blake J. Harris' book, which will follow Tom Kalinske, the man who helped transform Sega from a failing arcade company into a video game juggernaut, and helped the company take on Nintendo when it was at the peak of its success. Although the pair is mostly known for their comedy work, Rogen and Goldberg have enough geek cred to give them an edge on this story. Since they've already written a foreword for the book, it seems as if they know their subject pretty well. Plus, the Nintendo/Sega wars seem like the kind of story that would benefit from some irreverent goofiness. After all, most of these video games are pretty weird when you think about them.
Of course, Rogen and Goldberg's film won't be the first time in which Nintendo and Sega have faced off on screen. Over the years, both companies have seen their most successful franchises be adapted into movies, television series and Saturday morning cartoons, and sometimes even become a pop culture phenomenon. In honor of Console Wars, we've taken a look at the good, the bad, and the unnecessary in order to determine which company reigns supreme when it comes to big and small screen adaptations. Although, any time Nintendo wants to stop making Pokèmon movies is fine by us.
NINTENDO
Games Turned Into Movies: Worldwide — Super Mario Bros., Pokémon: The First Movie, Pokémon: The Movie 2000, Pokémon 3: The Movie, Pokémon 4Ever, Pokémon Heroes, Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker, Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai, Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions, Pokémon the Movie: Black and White, Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice, Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened; Japan only — Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! and Animal Crossing Games Turned Into TV Shows: The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Captain N: The Game Master, Donkey King Country, Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Super Mario WorldHighest Grossing Movie: Pokémon: The First Movie, which made over $163 million worldwideFranchise with the Most Incarnations: Pokémon, with 16 theatrically released movies, three television movies, and one ever-expanding anime series. Best Adaptation: Pokémon. Hey, they made 20 of them for a reason!Worst Adaptation: Super Mario Bros., the 1993 live-action adaptation starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi that nobody asked for. Adaptation That Was Better Than the Actual Game: Captain N: The Game Master, which combined all of the best characters from the Super Mario games with a wish-fulfillment plot that allowed the hero to get sucked into the video games he was playing.Game Character Who Never Got a Chance to Shine: Fox McCloud, star of StarFox. He leads a group of anthropomorphic animals who fly planes and protect their planet from evil aliens. It's practically tailor-made for Saturday morning cartoons!Saturday Morning Staple: Pokémon. Don't lie, you know you watched it every week. Movie Only Released in Japan That We Wished We Could See: Animal Crossing, if only to see how they managed to create a plot out of a game that has none. Something You Accepted as a Kid, But is Really Weird Looking Back: The live-action credits of The Super Mario Bros. Show, which featured a dancing WWE wrestler dressed as Mario.Most Memeable Adaptation: "Well, excuuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!"
SEGA
Games Turned Into Movies: Worldwide — Like A Dragon, House of the Dead, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, Sakura Wars: The Movie, Like a Dragon: Prologue; Japan only — Bayonetta: Bloody FateGames Turned Into TV Shows: The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim, Sakura Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground, Sonic X, Virtua FighterHighest Grossing Movie: Unfortunately, it appears to be House of the Dead, which grossed just under $14 million. Franchise with the Most Incarnations: Sonic the Hedgehog, with one movie and four television series. Best Adaptation: Sonic the Hedgehog, the 1993 series that ran on ABC on Saturday mornings. Well, okay, maybe not the best, but definitely the most iconic. Worst Adaptation: House of the Dead. It was directed by Uwe Boll, which should tell you all you need to know. Adaptation That Was Better Than the Actual Game: Earthworm Jim, a weird, surreal, hilarious television show that took all of the absurdity of the video games to the next level. Game Character Who Never Got a Chance to Shine: Bug from Bug!, a Hollywood star whose girlfriend is kidnapped just before he stars in the biggest film of his life. It might not have been the most exciting game, but between the action, the suspense and the Hollywood glamour, it would have made a great television show. Saturday Morning Staple: Earthworm Jim. The perfect accompaniment to a bowl of sugary cereal. Movie Only Released in Japan That We Wished We Could See: Bayonetta: Bloody Fate. It's the only Sega adaptation that hasn't been released in North America, and is said to be one of the best ones. Something You Accepted as a Kid, But Is Really Weird Looking Back: Pretty much everything about Earthworm Jim, if we're being honest.
Clearly, Nintendo wins the real world battle, but we'll see who takes the title in Rogen and Goldberg's film.
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Seth Rogen and his This Is The End co-director Evan Goldberg will be feted with the Comedy Filmmakers of the Year award at the upcoming CinemaCon convention. The funnyman and his frequent producing partner made their directing debut last summer (13) with the blockbuster apocalypse comedy, and their hard work will be recognised at the movie industry event on 27 March (14) in Las Vegas.
CinemaCon managing director Mitch Neuhauser praises Rogen and Goldberg's work in a statement that reads: "As writers, producers and directors, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have teamed up to bring audiences around the world some of the most outrageously, insanely funny comedies in recent years... When these two team up, hilarity and box office success ensue."
The duo's first collaboration was the hit 2007 breakout comedy Superbad, and they went on to work on movies such as Pineapple Express and The Green Hornet.
They also produced the upcoming comedy Neighbors, starring Rogen and Zac Efron, and their next directing collaboration, The Interview, is due out later this year (Oct14).